How hard to rebarrel a Savage bolt action

[218bee]

Sitting here thinking which usually gets me in trouble and costs me money.
I've always wanted to play around with a 300 H&H. Just cause.
I see Shilen makes barrels for Savage that you can install "yourself?" "easily?"
I don't consider myself a gunsmith, but have been tinkering with them for almost 50yrs. Most every gun I own or have owned I've taken apart to various degrees. I've bedded actions, free floated barrels, replaced or tuned triggers, etc.
I can often find relatively cheap Savage bolt guns in 30/06 and thought that might be a fun project.
Looking at cartridge dimensions I would have to have the bolt face opened a bit. I don't think OAL or feeding would be a problem, but maybe I'm wrong.
Any thoughts on such a project would be appreciated.

[06ackley]

Changing a savage barrel is fairly easy to do.I did my own when I wanted a 264 win mag.As long as you have a go,no go set you will be fine.And I think you can just replace the bolt face instead of opening it up.

[labradigger1]

Sounds like a good combination. I have some brass and j words if you need them.
Lab

[country gent]

The savage set up is easy to work with. The bolts head is a replacable piece lugs and face. The barrel is set with the lock nut for head space. A simple barrel vise and wrench for the nut, a set of headspace gages for the desired cartridge and a little understanding of what your doing is all thats needed. Basic barrel change remove barreled action from stock. Slide nut wrench over barrel and install in barrel vise tightly. Fit wrench onto nut and break nut loose spin action from barrel. Install new barrel in vise. Slide nut wrench on barrel run nut onto new barrel all the way forward. If new barrel has sights keep them close to 12:00 position. Thread nut onto thread all the way forward hand tight only. Thread action on part way. with stripped bolt head ( no extractor or ejector) insert go headspace gage and hand tighten to a light snug fit. Run nut down to reciever and hand tighten snugly check bolt lift and closing a small amount of tension should be felt. Thighten nut with wrench and recheck with go gage and then no go gage. If you want a better Idea of where your at discs can be cut from .001, .002, .003, shim stock to fit in bolt face and used behind go gage. After a few you will know how it should feel and not have to makes alot of adjustments.

[koger]

Around here, I can often find Savage 300WM or 7mmRem mags, used, syn stocks for $200-250, then all you would need to do is change the barrel and headspace! Gent above gave a good how to do a barrel swap. I have changed a bunch of them, have 7 custom rifles I built on savage actions, if you get ready to build, pm me for any help I can provide!

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

If you can count past ten without having to take your shoes of or unzip, about 2 minutes. If not, 3. The go/no go gauges are nice, but I always just used a once-fired case that had not been resized. Started that about forty years ago, still haven't blown myself, or an action up.

I would not be too certain about the H&H case being easy to feed without some TLC by a gunsmith who knows what he is doing.

Do they offer repeaters in the RUM cartridges? That would be the way to go, excepting the shortie 338.

[Dhammer]

Nice post. I didn't realize Savages were that easy. If only I could find a cheap lefty now.

[Jr.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPlFtskCwng

I put a schillen on my 110 not to long back. Had a barrel that was tapered the wrong way so I swapped it out. It took about twenty minutes as a first timer and I love the way it shoots. This video is all I watched to get me through the process.

[Dhammer]

Nice.

[wch]

Check the savageshooters.com/forum for all the info you will ever need.

[218bee]

Thanks for all the info. Sounds like it might be a project for me.
Didn't realize I could change bolt head.
Sounds like feeding from magazine may be only real issue.
I may have to start shopping

[roverboy]

They're not hard at all to do. I did one last week. I had a 110 action and put on a .30-06 take off barrel. A friend/gunsmith helped me. I shot it some the next day. Looks like it will be a good rifle. Now, the bad part...... I want more barrels now, so I can switch them out.

[218bee]

Thinkin about if there would be a feeding/magazine issue but looked on GB and there are a slew of 7mmMags for sale which would maybe be a better choice and maybe?? not have to worry about length

[woodbutcher]

:smile: Here`s a question that I don`t recall ever having been asked.When replacing a threaded bbl,should there be any type of anti-seize compound be used?And if not,why?TIA
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[roverboy]

Woodbutcher, that's probably a good idea if you might switch barrels out sometime. I didn't do it to mine but, probably should've. I didn't torque it down super tight though.

[Jr.]

Another thought... there are two different shank diameters on savage barrels so make sure you know if you have the large or the small before you order a new one.

[woodbutcher]

:smile: Hi Roverboy.Thanks for the reply.I was thinking more along the lines of Mauser,Springfield and ect where the barrel attachment is strictly screw in and torqued down.No barrel nut.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[Menner]

Just did 2 barrel swap outs Wed night was the first time I had tried this it was a stevens 200 in 7mm08 and I changed to 308 win my buddy has a Savage 112 in 22-250 that is shot out we took the 7mm08 off my rifle and put it on his and I put a criterion 308 on mine the only trouble we had was getting the barrel nut loose off the factory barrels I don't know what they torque them to from the factory but it took a 3lbs hammer and a piece of oak to break the nut free but from there it was a piece of cake. I have not been able to get to the range but my friend got out and shot the 7mm 08 on his action and the head space was set just right his fired cases matched the fired cases from when I had that barrel on my action from the factory
go for it, it was an interesting night
Tony

[kokomokid]

You can change remington 700 barrels the same way with a barrel nut and barrel threaded for it. See (remage).

[woodbutcher]

:smile: Hi Kokomokd.Thanks,
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[roverboy]

I still need to do some stock work on mine. Its one of the Savage factory synthetics with hollowed out forearm. I don't really like that, and I'm gonna fill it in shape it, free float and probably bed the action.

[kokomokid]

Boyds make a nice cheap savage stock.